The inventive subject matter in its various possible embodiments is directed to systems that tension an item of footwear to the foot and/or leg of a user so that the foot or leg is secured within the item during use. The inventive subject matter is particularly suitable for use in boots for snow and skating sports or any other such sport where sliding movement of the foot or leg relative to the item of footwear is undesirable and where secure coupling of the item to the foot and leg facilitates transfer of power to a board, ski, skate blade, set of skate wheels, etc., that is coupled to the item. The inventive subject matter is particularly, but not exclusively, directed to a tensioning system for a snowboard boot that tightens the boot parts around the user's instep or other anatomical areas, retracting the foot into the footbed and simultaneously retracting the heel into the heel area. The system provides a tension path that achieves the foregoing results and routes one or more cables to a tensioning mechanism that can be operated by the user to adjustably increase or decrease cable tension.
Systems that include a tensionable band or cables over the instep of a boot are known in rigid shell ski boots, for example. The instep tensioning system retracts the foot downwardly against the footbed and rearwardly into the heel area of the footwear item. Such boots are made of stiffer plastic parts and have specially molded features for routing of tensioning cables. Such boots may not allow for easy or precise adjustment of the cable tension. The integration of such systems into boot may also pose manufacturing challenges and may be costly. Further, in the case of snowboard boots, the shells typically have opposing, spaced apart edges and a tongue disposed in the spaced area (sometimes referred to herein as a “gap”). In such boots, a lace or cable-based closure system may be used. Unfortunately, until the inventive subject matter, the integration of a separate instep tensioning system has proven challenging because the conventional closure system and the instep tensioning system may interfere with each other. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,947 shows a tensioning system using cords and a retractable reel mounted on the upper sides of the boot with the cable routing over the instep. However, the cords are routed using a cumbersome harness assembly disposed within the outer shell of the boot that adds bulk and expense. The system does not integrate directly with the outer shell parts for optimal engagement with those parts.
The foregoing is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of disadvantages of the prior art and needed improvements; it is only a sampling. In view of the foregoing, there is a substantial need for improved systems for tensioning items of footwear to the feet of users.